Tick, tick, tick. It was as if the small vintage clock on the mantelpiece was mocking Barry. The constant noise refused to let his eyes remain shut so instead he lay hours on the sofa with his gaze locked on the ceiling overhead. If he had anywhere to be Barry would've left the moment Iris had gone back upstairs, the problem was there was no where for him to go. His life had ended the moment they dragged him out of the courthouse in chains and into the prison cell. Now he had returned to the place he had called home just over two years ago and yet whether it was the different furniture that was spread across the room or the infants toys on the floor Barry couldn't find himself at ease. And he didn't know if he ever could.

Barry's eyes flicked towards the extremely irritating clock for the thousandth time. How was it possible that it was only half past four in the morning? It was one of the curses of being a Speedster. Time dragged out for what seemed liked eternity, and it nearly drove Barry insane. When he was in his cell time went especially slow. There was no clock to stare at, only the stone walls which surrounded him. All he could do was guess what time of the day it was.

He sprang up from the couch, bare feet touching the cold hardwood floors and sending a shiver down Barry's spine. He tapped his hands rapidly on his side. He needed to do something, he couldn't just stay put for another three hours or so. He looked towards the window, wondering if he should go for a run somewhere in the night but his own messy reflection stared back at him in the darkened glass.

Even though the footsteps were light, they were just loud enough to give Barry a warning ahead of time that Iris was coming down the stairs. He quickly put his head down among one of the throw pillows of the sofa and waited. Finally he heard Iris step on the landing and he sat up. She stared at him with look of surprise as if she expected that he'd leave before morning.

"Barry" Iris said as she tightened her grip on the small child who she held in her arms. "You shaved".

"I-I couldn't sleep" Barry stuttered, trying to resist the urge to run a hand over his newly clean shaven face. He didn't know exactly why he did it. Maybe it was just for the same reason he had returned to Iris last night, trying to get a piece of himself back.

Iris didn't expect to see Barry again, and definitely not so soon. The stranger that broken into her apartment last night had familiar green eyes and a similar voice but barely anything else. It was as if he was a ghost, back from the grave. And yet here he was, Barry Allen staring back at her. He still had the baby face she remembered but more pale then it used to be, harsher cheek bones. But that didn't matter. He was here, and all it took was a razor to bring him back.

"Do you want something to eat?" Iris asked in a voice that was barely a whisper. Barry stared back at her. Both of them stood so very tense, it was as if the kiss had never happened.

Barry shook his head. "Come on, this can't be what it's going to be like with the two of us" he said, before sitting back down of the sofa.

Iris took of deep breath, closing of her eyes for a moment before looking back at Barry. "No. I don't want it to be" she said as she walked towards him, grabbing a bottle off the coffee table and sitting down next to him. Iris held their baby as she fed her the bottle.

"Talk to me" Barry said softly.

"About?"

"Everything. Everything I missed. They barely let me to see any bit of the news in that hellhole" Barry said, his eyes darkening as he thought of the awful place he had just left.

"Let's not talk about that, Bar" Iris said using the familiar nickname. She knew he'd have to talk about his time at Iron Heights at some point but definitely not now.

"Ok. But Iris, listen" Barry said. "Everyone else, I don't wanna see them or hear their sad apologies. What they did-"

"Bar-"Iris cut in. "Look let's talk about something else right now. I want to tell you about my job, our baby, we don't need to-" But Iris didn't get to finish her sentence for a loud crash echoed from the streets and suddenly the powered off tv screen, flickered on.

"Hello Central City!" Said a voice that Barry didn't exactly want to see again, and neither did anyone else. With hair that stood up on end and eyes that looked insane as if from electric shock. The original Trickster's face filled the screen.

"Word on the street is that Central City's Scarlet Speedster has been seen zipping around last night after two years in the dark, which immediately led me to decide this is perfect time to start up my old tricks once again!" James Jesse cackled and Iris moved her hand slowly towards Barry on the couch. And Nora dropped the bottle and began to cry.

"So how does a nuclear bomb sound to start the fun?"

Ok you guys had to realize Barry couldn't stay out of the dark forever, especially if there were more than a few people who saw Flash running around after his mysterious disappearance. As for choosing James Jesse to be the meta that attacks the city first, well I love how Mark Hamill plays his character and decided he'd be a fun choice.

Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading,

oncersm